Container for liquefied gases



July 18, 1933. c. w. P. HEYLANDT CONTAINER FOR LIQUE FIED GASES Original Filed Nov. 21, 1927 Patented July 1a, 1933 CHRISTIAN WILHELM PAUL HEYLANDT,

OF. LANKWITZ, GERKANY, ASSIGNOB TO FL'UGA AKTIENGESEILBCHAFT, OF ST. MOBITZ, SWITZERLAND, A CORPORATION OF I SWITZERLAND CONTAINER FOB LIQU-EFIED GASES Original application flled November 21, 1827, Serial No. 234,814, and in Germany December 27, 1908. Divided and this application filed Kay 21, 1928. Serial No. 364 9 56.

This invention relates to containers for liquefied gases and particularly to containers in which liquefied gas maybe stored. I

The invention has for its object generally the provision of a container of the character indicated, which is efiicient, economical, and readily manufactured.

More specifically, it is an ob ect to prov de a container of the character indicated wh ch has an improved construction and dlsposltlon of the insulating material disposed around the liquid containin vessel.

Other objects of t e invention w1ll 1n part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. a p

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 234,914, filed November 21, 1927.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanylng drawing, in which: .7

Fig. 1 is a view mainly in vertical cross section showing a container constructed in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating a modified arrangement of insulating material.

Tests have been made and the data plotted in order to ascertain the nature of the tem-. perature gradient of various insulating materials, together with the rate of evaporation for lique ed gases when insulated with various insulating materials. The plotted curves when drawn for such insulating materials as kieselguhr, infusorial earths, sla

wool, mineral wool, and the like, if arrange in the order of their respective insulating values, are found to be in the order of their relative porosities, the material havingthe highest porosity corresponding to the material having the highest insulating value.

The curves which exhibit the lower porosiconstant.

ties, for example that drawn for slag wool, exhibits a characteristic whereby it starts with a relatively high insulating value, then quickly drops and thereafter remains quite Kieselguhr 'on the other hand, which has a relatively high orosity, does not show this characteristic and maintains a relatively constant value of the insulation for all thicknesses.

In the practice of the present invention, in-

ers for liquefied gases and the like, in which the envelope is constructed of porous insu-' lating material that has the desired uniform insulating characteristic. The container in isolating envelopes are provided in containgeneral comprises an inner vessel for holding theliquefied gas and an outer casing enclosing a space about and supporting the in ner vessel.v The inner vessel is preferably spherical in shape, though other shapes may be employed which rovidea relatively high value of the ratio 0 cubic content to surface employed. The casing will in general be similar in shape to the inner vessel; as a consequence, the enclosed space is bounded by a large amount of surface which is inclined (i. e. has its tangent planes'making oblique or acute angles with the vertical). The upper inclined surface of the inner vessel and the lower inclined surface of the casing are utilized as supports for the insulating material which is loosely laid-in in the s ace about the inner vessel so as to avoid pac ing.

and to trap air in the interstices. In this manner, the original porosity of the insulating material is preserved and the resultant insulating effect is that had from the low thermal conductivities of both the insulating material and ofthe air retained in thepores and openings of the insulating envelope.

The insulating material employed may have any suitable form, for example, it may be granular or in small pieces and laid-in in layers about the inner vessel. Also, it may or may not have the layers separated and supported by non-conducting insulating material of' different structural properties, such as cellophane. The effect of thus building up the insulating material so as to provide small closed spaces in which air is caught, is

to coxidense or contract the air by the refrigerating eflect of the liquid in the inner vessel whereby stagnant bodies of chilled air in the interstices surround the inner vessel.

f When placing the insulating material in the space about the liquid containing vessel, it is preferred that this material be not leadin so tightly that the average specific gravityof the space when filled is in excess of that of the raw unused insulating material. The insulating material in the lower part of the container can sustain its own weight of mat'erial and the weighted the material in the upper part without becoming displaced.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1, wdenotes an inner vessel adapted for holding the liquefied gas. This 0 I n I -vessel is disposed wlthm an outer shell or casing 12, so that there IS an interven ng space 0 which is filled with insulating material d. This insulating material is of the porous inorganic character above indicated, and is disposed about the inner vessel a so that it will thus support itself, and forms a plu rality of interstices whereby the refrigerating efiect of the liquid in vessel a upon the air caught in these interstices causes the air to contract, thereby providing an atmosphere of strongly condensed stagnant. air permeating the space in and about the inorganic insulating material 05. Casing 5 supports vessel a through chains 6.

In the formof the container shown in Fig. 2, the insulating material is indicated at d. Here the insulating material instead of being of'the homogeneous porous character as indicated in Fig. 1, comprises built up layers of different materials, the bodies of one material being indicated at a and act as carriers for supporting the particles of'material c, which are designed tohave higher insulating characteristics. Interposed separating layers of non-conducting insulating material are shown at 7.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and'not in a limiting sense,

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patenhis:

1., In a container for liquefied gases, the combination comprising an inner vessel. for holding the liquefied gas, an outer casing enclosinga space about and'supportingsaid vessel, the enclosing walls of said space being curved and having portions inclined at angles such as to serve as supports for inserted material, and porous heat insulating material having a relatively constant insulating characteristic inserted and disposed in said space about said vessel; said material being inner vessel, the enclosing walls of said space being curved and having portions inclined at angles such as to serve as supports for inserted material, and heat insulating material inserted and disposed in said space about said vessel and consisting of alternate layers of relatively porous inorganic material in granular form alternating with layers of non-inflammable non-conducting material; said layers being mainly supported by the upper wall of said vessel and the lower space enclosing walls of said casing and laid-in to enclose a plurality of interstices whereby the refrigerating efi'ect of the gas Within said inner vessel creates an atmosphere of relatively dense air which pervades the space about said inner Vessel.

QHRISTIAN WILHELM RAUL HEYLANDT. 

